The 17th Kyodan Mission Planning Conference was held at Fujimicho Church, March 7-8, 2016, under the sponsorship of the Committee on Evangelism. The theme of the conference was “How will the Kyodan Promote Evangelism?” In addition to representatives of each committee of the Kyodan, the 83 participants included representatives from the districts and related schools as well as the top four Kyodan officers. After the opening worship, led by Kyodan Moderator Ishibashi Hideo, there were presentations by four participants, a panel discussion, a lecture followed by small-group discussion, and then a concluding discussion by the entire assemblage.

The first presenter, Pastor Kita Kiyoshi of Matsuzawa Church, stated: “Evangelism was once thought of as an evil that infringed on personal thought and belief, but today, by giving God his sovereign place and through service, the individual and the church can both fulfill the mission of evangelism.” Next, Pastor Shibata Moyuru of Hakodate Chitose Church expressed “resistance to the mixing of talk about evangelism with the issue of church membership and church attendance. There is a tendency to see things in a unitary way when we use the word evangelism, but does that not leave out regional issues? Now the starting point needs to be the acknowledgment of our differences.”

Tokyo Christian University Professor Yamaguchi Yoichi spoke about the need to define more clearly the revision of the church’s Basic Theory of Mission from an evangelical Protestant perspective, saying: “The fundamental point is the importance of promoting cooperation in evangelism between the Kyodan and other denominations. However, the appreciation of historical context since World War II has been weak. In particular, the right to resist (in regard to religious observance in the political realm) needs to be clarified.*

The final speaker, Kyodan missionary Nag Woon-hae spoke about “the need to engage in domestic evangelism also from the perspective of world mission and to have a sound faith based on the Holy Spirit and a holistic understanding. I recommend a major prayer assembly where the Kyodan as a whole can repent of the current situation.”

Among the opinions expressed from the floor during the panel discussion was the following by the Reverend Gushiken Atsushi from Okinawa, who said: “The anger surrounding the issue of U.S. military bases in Okinawa can only be addressed through prayer, and this anger makes the Okinawa problem hard to see.”

On the second day of the conference, Tsukuba University Professor Emeritus Ohama Tetsuya delivered the main address entitled “What is Japanese Christianity? A Historical Perspective.” Ohama suggested that history be interpreted from the point of view of Jesus’ identification with “the least of these.” He argued that we should recall and interpret history from this perspective. Early Japanese Protestant leaders accepted Christianity during the “expel the barbarians” period. Anti-foreigner, jingoistic tendencies were strong, and these early leaders were probably loyal servants of the nation. (This is a kind of analogy of early Japanese Protestant leaders.) It is necessary to review the history of the emperor system to find out what it is, for example. In the pronouncements of the church nowadays, how often do they ask about our faithful existence as Christians? Ohama spoke of the need for the church to identify with and speak on behalf of church members living and struggling in the world, while at the same time being understanding of the faith of others. (Tr. DB)

—Kato Makoto, executive secretary

*“Religious observance in the political realm” in this context refers to the attendance of public figures, in their official capacities, at Shinto religious ceremonies, which Japanese Christians and others have protested is contrary to Japan’s Constitution.

The 2016 Kyodan-related Missionary Conference was held March 28-30 at Emmaus Center in Sendai. Being shortly after the fifth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami along the Tohoku coast, much of the conference focused on the aftermath of that great disaster. The conference theme was, in fact, “Emmaus—Walk along with the Wounded.” The “wounded” from that triple disaster were not only those directly assaulted by the quake and the giant tsunami that immediately followed but also those who suffered more “slowly” from the radiation spewed from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was disabled by the tsunami and later went into meltdown. As this is an ongoing issue that will continue to haunt the region long after the direct damage from the quake and tsunami has been repaired, it was this aspect that was the focus of study at the conference.

Kataoka Terumi, who heads the Aizu Radioactivity Information Center in Aizu Wakamatsu in Fukushima, gave a lecture on the problems faced by those affected by the greatly increased radiation. She described how these “wounded” face so many uncertainties from this invisible enemy and how the ongoing damage is not only the increased risk of cancer from direct radiation exposure but also the psychological strain it puts on people. The ministry of Emmaus Center was transformed by the needs of the “wounded” from a student ministry to one focused on relief and recovery, and so it has served as a coordinating center for volunteers to literally “walk along with the wounded.” It was thus a very appropriate location for this year’s missionary conference. And being the day after Easter Sunday, it was also a fitting time to commemorate that original encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus.

I was one of two retiring missionaries who were present at the conference. Both David Murchie and myself received recognition from the Kyodan for our years of service in Japan, along with our wives. I was also asked to give the message at the closing worship service, and so I would like to close this article with a brief synopsis of what I said. I entitled the message “Blessed To Be A Blessing,” a concept that comes from God’s calling of Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 12. God says to Abraham that he will be a blessing and that through him and his seed, all peoples on earth will be blessed. As missionaries called to Japan or as Japanese church leaders called to serve your people, that promise God made to Abraham some 4,000 years ago has been passed on to us and still applies. We have been blessed for a purpose, and that is to be a blessing in Christ’s name to others.

This theme of the Abrahamic Covenant is the central theme of the entire Bible and is referred to in hundreds of passages throughout both the Old and New Testaments. This is particularly so in Paul’s letters, where he stresses that the blessings of Christ are an extension of the blessing given to Abraham. Paul summarizes this biblical basis for mission in his letter to the Galatians. “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Gal. 3:8-9) Jumping a few verses ahead, verse 14 says, “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

This all-important Galatians 3 ends with one of my favorite verses, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” And what is this promise to which we are heirs? It is that we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others. In these verses, Paul is referring back to Genesis chapter 12, where the history of God’s chosen people begins. There were hints of what God was going to do to solve the dilemma of sin and evil described earlier in the text, but it is in this Abrahamic Covenant that God begins to make plain his great plan. This Abrahamic Covenant, then, forms the central theme that runs throughout the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. God blessed Abraham and then by extension, he also blesses all those who follow Abraham’s lead and place their trust in God. But the purpose of that blessing is that we are to pass it on. We are blessed in order to be a blessing, and this is the essence of the purpose for which the church of Jesus Christ exists in the first place.

I also referred to another biblical theme, that of reconciliation, along with the need for civility in our dialog across theological divides, particularly that between social action/justice ministries and evangelism. Within the context of the Church, these two broad categories of social action and evangelism need each other and must be kept together. Most ministries will focus on one or the other, but whichever ministries we are involved in, we all need to work together instead of at cross-purposes. I am reminded of the illustration attributed to E. Stanley Jones, a well-known Methodist missionary to India. He said that the relationship between the two should be like that of the body and soul. Social action without evangelism is like a corpse, while evangelism divorced from social action ends up being a ghost. In order to have a living being, they have to go together.

So that is my appeal to all of you and particularly to our Japanese brothers and sisters in the Kyodan. Remember that you are to be ambassadors for Christ and are called to the ministry of reconciliation. Remember that you have been blessed for a purpose, and that is to be a blessing to others—even those you disagree with.

The Kohitsuji (Little Lambs) Camp in Taiwan series, which began in January 2014 with an invitation from the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) and an offer of support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), held its sixth and final camp in Chaghua County, southern Taiwan, April 2-5.

The six camps were attended by a total 195 people: 161 children and parents residing in Fukushima, who were seeking an opportunity to spend even a short time away from their radiation-contaminated environment, plus 34 staff persons. The first camp was held in Chiayi County (hosted by PCT’s Chiayi District), the second in Yilan County (Qixing District), the third in Tainan County (Tainan District), the fourth in Taitung County (Tungbu District), the fifth in Hsinchu County (Hsinchu District) and this time in Changhua County.

At each event, the campers received from the host district and churches a wonderful welcome that far exceeded their expectations and were able to play with abandon in the unspoiled splendor of nature. On the second day of the final camp in Changhua, the Kyodan hosted a special thanksgiving service at Yongfu Church, at which Kyodan Moderator Ishibashi Hideo delivered a message of thanks and PCT General Secretary Lim Hontiong offered warm words of response.

This program, which arose in response to the East Japan Disaster, became an important support activity for survivors of that catasrophe, which transcended the boundaries of Taiwan, the U.S. and Japan.

Also, at the PCT General Assembly that preceded the final camp, Kyodan General Secretary Nagasaki Tetsuo included in his message some words of gratitude on behalf of the parents and children who attended the camps and presented a certificate of appreciation to the PCT. This heartwarming scene was immediately uploaded to the PCT website, together with a detailed commentary.

The Kyodan extends sincere thanks to the PCT and UMCOR for the partnership and support that made this three-year, six-camp program possible, and we pray that the collaborative three-way relationship nurtured through this project may be strengthened even more in the days ahead. (Tr. DM)

The Kyodan Tohoku District Nuclear Disaster ReliefTask Force, “IZUMI,” was formed in October 2013, in accordance with a resolution passed at the 68th Tohoku District Annual Assembly in May of that same year.

Presently, this task force is comprised of a director, an adviser, and a steering committee of five members, including the director, who work with four active full-time staff and a number of volunteers. The office is located in the annex of the Tohoku District Center in Sendai. This was previously a two-story missionary residence called “Maggie House,” which was renovated for our use through funding from the Kyodan and Tohoku District. The steering committee meets once a month, and a staff meeting is held every week. At these meetings there are detailed accounts of the work being done, and ample time is taken in planning future steps. This is because engaging with the problems of radioactive contamination calls for a variety of approaches. Our activities focus on health consultation and examinations, recuperative programming, visitation, and listening. From our first month of activity, we developed programs for recuperation. In December 2013, the physician who performed the first thyroid examinations also gave a lecture. This lecture, as well as five others that followed by other lecturers, was about radioactivity. In the beginning, Dr. Yamazaki Tomoyuki came to us from Airin Church in Osaka District to provide health consultation every month. This was very important for the care of families of children attending church-related kindergartens and nurseries in Fukushima Prefecture. It is impossible to talk about the cooperative relationship we have with the Information Center for Radioactivity in Aizu, located in Wakamatsu Sakaemachi Church in Fukushima Prefecture, without mentioning Dr. Yamazaki.

The first thyroid examinations were given in December 2013. The 24th series of examinations was held in January of this year. Over 1,000 children have been examined. Recently, examinations are being performed every month without fail. Children under 18 at the time of the disaster in Fukushima, who are now living in Miyagi Prefecture, have been the main focus of the examinations that we have arranged. For a brief period, we rented an echo machine, but with full funding from the Kyodan, we were able to obtain our own echo machine. We are extremely grateful for this. Since obtaining our own equipment, we have been able to take it throughout Miyagi Prefecture as well as to places close to us in southern Fukushima Prefecture, such as Marumorimachi, Kakuda City, and Shiroishi City. We were also able to take it to Kurihara City in the northern part of Fukushima Prefecture, which was said to have a high degree of radioactivity.

When visiting areas throughout Japan and reporting on our work, we are asked why we are working only in Miyagi Prefecture and not in Fukushima Prefecture. There has been no decision not to go to Fukushima Prefecture. We have visited the Kawatani Church kindergarten in the southern part of Fukushima Prefecture twice for thyroid examinations. One of the reasons we do so much work in Miyagi Prefecture is that the prefectural government has decided there is no danger of radioactivity and sees no need for thyroid examinations. However, at the local level, there is a different understanding. For example, due to the cooperation of the town of Ogawaramachi, we did thyroid examinations in that community. When a notice of our examinations was posted on the official town site, there was a flood of applications. The same thing happened in Shiraishi. In Ogawaramachi, the local government provided its facilities for the examinations, and the mayor came to observe. In one day, about 100 children received examinations. Normally, about 50 are seen in one day. The challenge of continuing thyroid examinations is finding doctors who will volunteer for only a travel subsidy. This year we were concerned because the doctor who had helped us was transferred, but we are thankful that suitable help has been provided.

There are two recuperative programs: one short-term and one long-term. The long-term program is held in Hokkaido during the summer and in Okinawa during the spring. It is a five-night, six-day program, with much cooperation from Hokkaido and Okinawa districts. In March we are planning to have our ninth long-term program at Amami Oshima in Kyushu District. It has been five years since the Great East Japan Disaster. The work of “IZUMI” began as an effort to protect the lives of children who, through God’s creative activity and providential guidance, are living here. This an ethical issue about life. When compared to the enormity of the nuclear disaster, this is a very small effort. However, for me, it is an effort I hope to continue. Please support us with your prayers.(Tr. JS)

Martin Mosser Smyser (1875-1955), who came from Pennsylvania and had been invited by Yokote Middle School to be an English teacher, began the evangelistic work of Shunan Church, starting with an English Bible class for neighborhood children in his home. Smyser, who believed that “evangelism in Japan should be done by Japanese,” chose two baptized youth from that class and sent them to Meiji Gakuin High School, then on to the seminary there. Following graduation, these two men, Seya Shigeji and Suzuki Kozo became as Smyser’s right and left hands. They moved ahead to promote the evangelization of southern Akita Prefecture. The unique characteristic of Smyser’s evangelistic work was his non-affiliation with any denominational body. Smyser’s support of the two young men covered not only their educational expenses but all their living expenses as well. To do that, he continued his work as a missionary, receiving financial support from his friends in his homeland.

As a band of believers was born in one region, they extended their work to another region. Spreading the gospel through the southern area of the prefecture was their priority. When there was no pastor present, the believers maintained the meetings with testimonies. The meetings did not have any particular building but continued their existence as “house churches.” This method of evangelism also appeared among those that were called the ”Fukuin Kyodan” (Gospel Band). Before the band became a “church,” they identified themselves by saying, “We are a brotherhood led by the Reverend Smyser.” I think this style was a breakthrough for rural evangelism in Japan, which had been frustrated so many other attempts by various churches.

However, in this brotherhood, the waves of history beat upon the shore. Under the “Religious Organizations Law”(enacted in 1940), the Smyser band, as a religious association, changed its name to “Shunan Christ Church,” and in the midst of these difficulties, it became a part of the Kyodan. Concurrently, the church itself was also making decisions that were greatly changing its character, namely, Smyser’s retirement. He had initially resisted returning to his country, but the thought-control police made that a precondition. Seya Shigeji was ordained and became the head pastor. At the same time, Suzuki Kozo left Shunan Church.

Seya was sent to Indonesia during World War II. When he returned to Japan, the meetings in the region were reopened and new churches in the bands formed after the war were also added, but the “house church” base did not change. The Reverend Murakami Eiji was invited as Seya’s successor, and the gatherings planned to build meeting halls in each area respectively. All the believers gave offerings, and in turn six meeting halls were dedicated. Formerly, there were more home meetings but only six remain that were able to construct meeting halls and one place where a house meeting is still being continued. This is Shunan Church at present.

Missionary Choi Jang-Soo and I are partnering and serving in rotation. Worship services at Yokote sanctuary and Asamai sanctuary are on Sunday from 10:30 a.m.; Uenodai sanctuary and Obonai sanctuary worship services are on Sunday afternoon from 2:00 p.m. Worship at Kakumagawa sanctuary is from 7:30 p.m. on Monday, and Omonogawa sanctuary worship is held twice a month at 7:00 in the evening. The house meeting is held in the home of a believer in Kakunodate on the third Friday afternoon of every month at 1:30. The board of trustees meeting is held each month on the second Sunday from 2:00 p.m. at Yokote sanctuary. Yokote was Smyser’s beginning base of evangelism and continues presently as the center. Naturally, in order for the minister and the missionary to be present at the board of trustees meeting, the afternoon worship services are held with the support of neighboring area pastors.

As a matter of principle, both Choi Jang-Soo and I attend worship services together on days other than Sunday. The meeting halls are shelters for the protection of the believers’ faith, but as believers age, maintenance of the meeting halls is presently becoming a burden for Shunan Church. But even so, believing that our active evangelism will contribute to a revitalization of the evangelization of our nation, we continue to move forward. (Tr. RT)